US claim Castro has Parkinson's

Fidel Castro, the president of Cuba, has Parkinson's disease, according to US officials, who warn that his declining mental condition could lead to massive unrest. Doctors working for the CIA have concluded that Castro, 79, the world's longest-serving political leader, was diagnosed with the debilitating illness in 1998 and that his health has been fading for years.

In a secret report to the state department, produced last year and leaked to the Miami Herald this week, the CIA says the US should be "ready for trouble" as Castro's symptoms become more evident and his grip on Cuba's 46-year communist regime weakens.

"About one year ago, we started seeing some pretty definitive stuff that he had Parkinson's," said a CIA official. In October 2004, Castro fractured his knee and broke an arm in a fall shown live on national television, and observers have noted that his lengthy public speeches have become more rambling.

He has also been seen to faint or fall asleep at several government functions since 2001. But Ricardo Alarcón, president of Cuba's National Assembly, said at the Ibero-American summit in Spain last month:"He enjoys excellent health."

Analysts believe the worsening economic situation could lead to more public dissent if Castro insists on remaining in power as his mental abilities decline.